Thursday, June 30, 2016

King David wrote in the Book of Psalms, "Sur meRa v'ase tov" - which means, "Veer from evil and do good" (Psalms 34:15).

This is an axiom whose purpose is to enable a framework of orderly life. That is, first prevent actions which are latently bad, and not only have no positive benefit to any and all, but are negative and harmful.

Only after the deletion of wickedness can good prevail.

If and when this maxim is ignored, chaos reigns.

This pandemonium can be easily witnessed throughout the world today, including here in Israel.

Months ago, following an attempted stabbing of soldiers in Hebron, a number of residents conducted a lengthy discussion with the commander, (a full colonel) of the Judean Brigade (who fortunately is concluding his term, and will soon be replaced.) The gist of the conversation can be summed up in a few words. In his opinion, if he allowed the Arab residents to continue their normal way of life, they would leave us alone.

We tried to explain/convince him that this approach was mistaken and would only lead to further terror attacks.

We were unsuccessful in our efforts. Only after the murder of Genadi Kaufman in Hebron, and the near killing of a soldier outside Beit Hadassah did he change his policies.

Our Colonel/Commander's outlook is not his alone. Other high-ranking officers, including some of his commanders are of the same opinion.

The results are chaos, such as the indescribable slaughter of a 13 year old girl in her bed in Kiryat Arba this morning.

This isn't the first time. The Litman father and son, Dafna Meir, the Fogel family, etc. etc.

This is chaos. Because it is the responsibility of the government, the Prime Minister, the Defense Minister, and all the relevant security forces to prevent such atrocities and maintain order.

The problem is that they are shirking their responsibilities and the results are slaughtered Jews. Cut to pieces, as was Hallel Yaffa Ariel, sleeping in her bed, this morning.

What can the Israeli government do to actualize the above-quoted verse?

First, destroy the wicked. In one word, deterrence. Ensure that evil suffers.

For instance, presently the Prime Minister glories in the aura of destroying a terrorist's home (when the Supreme Court allows it.) However, as the terror continues, it is obvious that this measure in not effective. If though, the entire neighborhood where the terrorist lived was razed to the ground, with it inhabitants being expelled to Lebanon, Gaza, (Iraq or Syria), perhaps this might enhance the deterrent effect. (This, as opposed to paying Turkey twenty million dollars in damages to terrorists attempting to kill Israeli soldiers.)

If members of a community knew that immediately following a terror attack they would all suffer, it's possible that they would take steps to prevent such attacks.

If this isn't enough, than destroy the entire village or town.

One need not be a genius or expert military strategist to comprehend the logic. In my opinion, this would be somewhat more effective than today's decision to surround the village of Boni Nayim, where the terrorist lived, and revoke work permits from the killer's family.

Nu, big deal! So what!? Deterrence? No way. These measures will not prevent the next carving up of another Jew somewhere in Israel.

Real deterrence is the name of the game, the first step in fulfilling KIng David's instructions to his People, 3,000 years ago. If they're not afraid of you, they will continue down their murderous path of atrocity.

Stage two - 'do good.'

This can also be accomplished relatively easily. Our enemies understand two basic languages. The first as now described. The second language they understand is land.

Many years ago, when previous governments were less fearful of the US, the UN and the EU, they implemented the 'true Zionist response' to terror. Wherever an attack occurred, there was built a new community.

That policy has fizzled up and disappeared. It must be renewed.

The government must immediately announce and implement construction of thousands of new buildings throughout Judea and Samaria, including such 'hotspots' as Hebron. New communities must be initiated.

This is 'doing good.' And our neighbors as well as the rest of world, still trying to push a suicide piece plan down our throats, will know we mean business. Maybe they'll even learn something from us about fighting terror.

How then, will these acts stop the chaos cold, and bring back some kind of order.

As King David teaches us, with the continuation of the verse, 'Bakesh Shalom v'Radfeihu' which means, 'search for peace and run after it.'

We can only hope for peace, we can only seek out peace, we can only run after peace, after evil is vanished, vanquished, eliminated, and 'good' is an accepted and accomplished fact. The lack of either of these two elements prevents any chance of reaching peace.

We know. We've been living this chaos for many many years.

The time has come to put an end to chaos and then achieve an authentic peace, preventing a mother's tears, seeing her 13 year old daughter's body looking like a flour sifter.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Much has been written by many people about Dr. Irving Moskowitz zt"l since notification of his passing late last week. I too wrote a short piece on Facebook:

A Tzaddik has left this world for a better world, Dr. Irving Moskowitz, whose name and acts will be remembered in the annuls of Jewish history with Montefiore and Rothchild, whose generosity knew no boundaries, a man of modesty, a man of Torah, a man of the people. Together with his indefatigable Ashet Chayil Cherna, may she live and be well for many years to come, Irving changed the very face of Jewish presence in Eretz Yisrael. There aren't words to capture and define his legacy. Only that I have no doubt that what he was able to accomplish in this world is only a sliver of what he'll be able to do in the next world. May he and his memory be blessed for eternity.

I don't know if I can add much to what has already been written, but on Shabbat I read a beautiful paragraph from the Zohar, appearing in parshat Chaya Sarah, which is the Torah portion describing Abraham's purchase of the Caves of Machpela, and immediately thought of Dr. Moskowitz:

Rabbi Pinchas said, before a Tzaddik (righteous person) leaves this world, a voice from Heaven calls out, 'prepare a place for this person, the Tzaddik, who is coming.' And because this soul is so privileged as to enter the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem, the angel Michael, the great minister, goes forth to greet him with Shalom, and all the other ministering angels wait behind and ask, 'who is it coming up from the desert, from the world below?' Because it is a world of ruins, called desert, as opposed to the heavenly world.

And the angel Michael, the great minister, answers, 'one is my pure, innocent dove,' in other words, Michael does not praise the private mitzvot and traits of the Tzaddik and his righteousness, rather he recites the innocent loftiness which includes all the traits and positive, kosher characteristics, and just as this soul includes all of these pure, innocent, kosher and honest deeds, so the elevated holiness surrounds him always, and when he deals with Torah and Mitzvot, all the area around him is with total holiness and his reward is very great indeed.

With Hebron children - with the author (photos David Wilder)

This, perhaps, describes the transcendental process by which Dr. Irving Moskowitz left this world, on his way to the next world. For his deeds were all for the good of 'Klal Yisrael,' the greater Israel, not for his own private reward, but for all of Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael and Torat Yisrael.

It was an honor and privilege to have known him, to have walked with him and talked with him, because he was always, as is described above, enveloped in a cloud of holiness.

Without any doubt, he will continue his righteous efforts in the world of total good and happiness, on behalf of his family and on behalf of all Yisrael.

Friday, June 3, 2016

Archeologists Immanuel Eisenberg and David Ben-Shlomo had just about wrapped up the excavations. Their finds were admirable.

This wasn't Eisenberg's first Hebron dig. Back in 1999, working on the northern edge of Tel Hebron, his finds could not be described as anything less than astonishing. They ranged from 4,500 hundred years ago, that being the early bronze age, to about 1,700 years ago, that being the Byzantine era.

On the western-most area excavated, he discovered two walls, one dated back to the days of Noah and the flood. Adjacent to this 4,500 year old find were stone stairs, in perfect condition, from the same era, most probably, leading to the 'gate of the city.' Next to the stairs is another wall, this one being 3,700 years old, that being the middle bronze era, that being the time of Abraham and Sarah.

On the eastern most side of the excavation are Byzantine wine cisterns.

Just to the east of them is a 'four-room' house, 2,700 years old, that being the First-Templ e era, built during the days of King Hezekiah. During this age, the kingdom utilized Hebron as a place to store food for the army, then fighting a war with Assyrian King Sinharib. The grains were kept in clay jars. Near the bottom of the jar's handle was a small seal, identifying the jar and its contents as property of the Kingdom.

The seal itself looked something like a cross between a bird and a beetle, some with two wings, and others with four. Above the seal was inscribed the word, L'Melech, 'belonging to the King.' Beneath the seal was another word, identifying the area where the food jar was being stored.

During these excavations, Eisenberg and his team discovered five of these such seals, all marked with the words 'L'Melech, and underneath, in ancient Hebrew, the word 'Hebron.' Eisenberg, speaking to then defense minister Moshe Arens, at the site, exclaimed, "if anyone had any doubts as to whether this is the original, Biblical Hebron, those doubts have all been erased. We have proof that Jews have lived here since the days of Abraham."

Eisenberg and Ben Shlomo's excavations southern side of the Tel were no less impressive. They uncovered a 2,000 year old industrial area, complete with ponds and aqueducts for water flow. A house, or more likely, pottery factory, burned down during the wars with the Romans, containing remnants of jars was found. Inside the house, two amazing discoveries: a large iron key to the building's door, and also a jar containing olive pits, 2,000 years old. Additionally they found both olive oil and wine presses.

Parts of the south-eastern region of the Tel had been previously excavated by Philip Hammond, from the United States, in the middle 1960s. Hammond uncovered parts of a 3,700 year old wall, whose stones were so large he described them as Cycloptic.

Eisenberg and Ben-Shlomo continued to dig out this wall, revealing a large section of it. However, a most astounding revelation was determined, that being that the wall had served Hebron for over a thousand years. That is from the time of Abraham, probably until the destruction at the hands of Sinharib, 2,700 years ago.

In other words, when Abraham entered Hebron from the south, this he saw this wall. When Calev ben Yefuheh came into Hebron, being a member of the spies Moses sent to Israel from the desert, this is the wall he viewed. And when David began the Kingdom of Israel in Hebron, some 3,000 years ago, this wall surrounded the original 'City of David.'

The dig was just about completed. A bulldozer started pushing out dirt that had been piled up during the dig. As it finished its work, the archaeologists requested that it continue digging down, where the dirt had covered the earth. Just to make sure…

To their surprise and amazement, the bulldozer uncovered a large pit. Continued work led to another remarkable discovery. Two very large Mikvahs, that is ritual pools, in beautiful condition were found at that site. They were dated to the Second Temple period, that is, some 2,000 years old. They were astounded.

There was no doubt as to the authenticity of these artifacts or the time of their origin. And here again, solid proof of, not only a Jewish presence, but of a solid presence. Only such a population could allow for this type of industrial area and such large mikvahs.

And of course, the foremost site in Hebron is the huge monumental structure built by Herod atop the caves of Machpela, again, 2,000 years ago.

The Jewish population in Hebron, as most of the Jewish inhabitants of Judea, where expelled by the Romans following the destruction of the 2nd Temple and the defeat of the Jewish revolts. However, there are recorded accounts of Jews praying at Ma'arat HaMachpela in the middle of the 6th century. And in 614 it is written by the Muslim historian Ibn Huldan 'that the Jews in Hebron assisted the Persians to conquer the city, thereby ending the persecution at the hands of the Byzantines.' When exactly the Jews returned to Hebron is not entirely clear, but from this account it is clear that they had come back.

It seems that there were no Jews in Hebron was between 1100 until the middle 1200s. In 1100, following the Crusader conquest, Jews were expelled from the city. After the Mamluk conquest in 1260, Jews again returned to Hebron.

The Avraham Avinu Synagogue was built in 1540 by Jews who had been expelled from Spain in 1492. And so the community continued until the 1929 riots and expulsion. For the first time in almost 1000 years, Hebron was emptied of its age-old Jewish community.

Until 1967.

So there we have it: 3,700-, 3,000-, 2700-, 2,000-, 1,400-, 900-, 500- years of archeological evidence of a Jewish community in Hebron.

In other words, on June 8, 1967, that being the 29th day of Iyar in 5727, the Jewish people did not conquer and occupy a foreign city. Rather they returned home, home to Hebron, the roots of the Jewish people, the roots of humanity.

About Me

David Wilder began working with the Jewish Community
of Hebron in 1994. He served as the English spokesman for the community for 21
years, granting newspaper, television and radio interviews internationally. He has
written hundreds of columns, posted on internet and appearing on websites and
in newspapers around the world. He
published a booklet of questions and answers about Hebron, titled, “Breaking the Lies.” Additionally he has acted in the capacity of community photographer
for over 17 years. He has published several ebooks of his photographs and
articles, available on Amazon. His blogs on the Jerusalem Post and at IsraelNational News have been read by over a half a million people.

Presently executive director of Eretz.Org, David represents
and assists several organizations, including the Neve Avraham ChildrenTreatment Center in Kiryat Arba-Hebron. He continues to conduct tours of
Hebron's Jewish Community and speaks to numerous groups in Hebron. He occasionally
travels abroad, speaking at various functions, explaining the true realities of
today's Israeli-Arab He is also a popular lecturer in Hebron, dealing with
diverse groups, including interfaith delegations, from around the world.

David Wilder has been in Israel for 40 years. He is
married to Ora, a ‘Sabra,’ for 36 years. They lived in Kiryat Arba for 17 years
and have resided at Beit Hadassah in Hebron for seventeen years. They have
seven children, five of whom are married and have many grandchildren.